In a shocking case of fentanyl trafficking, 27-year-old Brittaney Ridgeway of Buffalo, New York, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine. Ridgeway’s boyfriend, Dellsean Hamilton, was arrested on January 11, 2016, also on distribution charges.
According to the investigation, Ridgeway and Hamilton sold heroin and fentanyl in the Buffalo and Cheektowaga areas. On March 25, 2015, Cheektowaga Police officers recovered $2,315 in cash and 145 envelopes containing almost four grams of fentanyl following a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Ridgeway and Hamilton were riding.
Following Hamilton’s arrest, law enforcement officers learned that Ridgeway continued to distribute heroin. Officers made controlled purchases of heroin from Ridgeway on February 4 and February 11, 2016.
The investigation was a joint effort by the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Zack; the Erie County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Howard; and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division.
Sentencing for Ridgeway is scheduled for March 20, 2017, at 12:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
The case highlights the ongoing struggle against fentanyl trafficking in Western New York, and the importance of law enforcement collaboration in combating this deadly crime.
Ridgeway’s guilty plea is a significant step forward in bringing justice to the victims of fentanyl distribution in the Buffalo area.
Related Federal Cases
- Adam Sloan, Fentanyl Distribution Resulting in Death, New York 2025 · Kansas
- Adam Sloan, Fentanyl Distribution, New York 2025 · Kansas
- Terrence Johnson, Fentanyl Distribution, New York 2016 · North Carolina
- Carlique DeBerry, Fentanyl Distribution Causing Death, New York 2016 · Texas
- Steven Paschell, Fentanyl and Heroin Distribution, New York 2016 · Texas
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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